Loopon tampon

ABSTRACT

An improved tampon  20  has a tampon body  22  and a removal string  30 , having a length (L) between a first end  35  and second end  36  permanently affixed at or along at least one first end  35  of the string  30  to the tampon body  22  and wherein the second end  36  is looped back into the tampon body  22  and attached thereto to form a shortened single loop  30 L. The second end  36  can be permanently attached or removably attached to the tampon body  22  and the single loop  30 L extends from the tampon body  22  a distance (D) less than half the length (L) of the removal string  30.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to an improved sanitary tampon. More particularlyto a tampon with a concealed removal string designed to preventembarrassing string exposure when wearing the device during activitieslike swimming. The device allowing the bather to wear swimming apparelwithout concern for the string being visible.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Tampon devices are manufactured to enable a woman to participate inactivities such as swimming even during the menstrual cycle.

The old prior art tampons were so water absorbent that menstruatingwomen could not or would not be able to swim as the device would alsoabsorb water and when fully saturated would bleed into the water.Current technology has enabled new tampon construction that has ahydrophilic portion for blood absorption and a hydrophobic portion atthe distal or string or cord end to block water absorption and thus arewell suited for swimming or spa usages. Even the removal string or cordis made of non-water/fluid wicking hydrophobic material. Therefore it isnow accepted and hygienically safe to enjoy swimming during this time.

These tampons have a long string or cord extending from the tampon thatfacilitates removal. This removal string is exposed and easilyobservable when a woman is wearing a bathing suit. This is embarrassingas it draws attention to the tampon. To avoid this string exposure thecurrent practice is to cut the extending string portions or ends, whichare specifically designed to be exposed to facilitate removal, toshorten them to a length that fits well inside body cavity thusconcealing them. Unfortunately most women needing to do this may have noaccess to scissors or knives to cut the excess string if at the club orpublic swimming pool. Secondarily, if too much string is removed, thereis the risk of needing forceps or other means to grasp the tampon whenit must be removed. Accordingly, there is a need to provide a safe,reliable product that solves this issue of tampon string exposure fromunder swimwear or under garments.

The present invention described below provides a solution to preventexposed “removal strings” while maintaining the safe, reliable use ofthe removal string.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An improved tampon has a tampon body and a removal string, having alength (L) between a first end and second end permanently affixed at oralong at least one first end of the string to the tampon body andwherein the second end is looped back into the tampon body and attachedthereto to form a shortened single loop. The second end can bepermanently attached or removably attached to the tampon body and thesingle loop extends from the tampon body less than half the length ofthe removal string.

The second end can be releasably attached to the tampon body and can bedetached from the tampon body to facilitate removal allowing the removalstring to be extended to a full removal length. The second end whendetached allows the removal string to extend from the tampon body adistance equal to an at least industry standard minimum length of atleast 4 inches (10.2 cm). The removal string first and second ends whenattached to the tampon body form the single loop in a one piece knotlessloop. At least one first end is sewn, hot welded, bonded, adhesivelyglued or otherwise permanently affixed to the tampon body. Preferably,the removal string is made of a hydrophobic material to prevent water orblood absorption and the tampon body has an upper portion made of ahydrophilic material for improved blood absorption and a lower portionof a water blocking hydrophobic material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described by way of example and with reference tothe accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a conventional prior art tampon assembly withan inner applicator tube and an outer applicator tube shown with atampon stowed inside the outer applicator tube and the removal stringextending outwardly from the inner tube of the tampon assembly.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of a tampon assembly with a singlelooped removal string made according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a view showing the single looped removal string embedded in atampon body that has been opened down the longitudinal length of thetampon body to reveal the first and the second ends of the removalstring.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the tampon assembly of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIG. 1 there is shown a plan view of a conventionalprior art tampon assembly 100 with an inner applicator tube 302 and anouter applicator tube 304 shown with the tampon 200 stowed within theouter applicator tube 304 and a removal string 300 extending outwardlyfrom the inner tube 302 of the tampon assembly 100. These prior arttampons can come in a variety of sizes and are sold having differentabsorbency ratings and packaging. Generally, the outward appearance of atampon is similar for almost all commercially sold brands, but theirabsorbency does vary. All tampons have a cord or string for removal andsome have an additional outer cover to aid in insertion and withdrawal.Many women prefer the use of a tampon that is contained within anapplicator to further aid insertion. The prior art tampon shown in FIG.1 employs an applicator 302, 304. The tampon, when sold as an assembly100 of the tampon 200 and the applicator 302, 304, facilitates insertionof the tampon 200 into the vagina without the requirement of touchingthe tampon 200 during insertion.

Many tampons, alternatively commonly referred to as digital ornon-applicator tampons are sold without applicators. These are simplyunwrapped from their packaging and simply pushed into the vagina withfingers. These tampons can range in size from 1.5 to 4.5 inches.

Tampon applicators may be made of plastic or cardboard and are of asimilar design to a syringe. The applicator consists of two tubes, anouter or barrel 304 and an inner or plunger 302. The outer tube 304 hasa smooth surface to aid insertion and sometimes comes with a rounded endthat is petaled. As shown in FIG. 1, the tampon 200 is actuallyextending slightly outwardly from the outer tube 304. The tampon 200itself sits inside the outer tube 304 near the open end as shownpartially exposed out of the outer open end of the outer tube 304. Theinner tube 302 is encased inside the outer tube 304 and is held in placeby a locking mechanism or simply friction. The outer tube 304 isinserted into the vagina and the inner tube 302 is pushed into the outertube 304 typically using a finger pushing the tampon 200 through andinto the vagina. In this fashion the tampon 200 can be placed withoutever touching that area of the body. Once fully inserted, the applicator302, 304 is removed and the dangling string or cord 300 is exposedhanging from the vagina. Typically these strings 300 extend at least 4inches and sometimes up to six inched beyond the distal end of thetampon.

In the United States, a tampon is considered a class 2 medical device.The majority of tampons sold in the United States are made of rayon or ablend of rayon and cotton. Organic cotton compounds are made from only100 percent cotton. Tampons are sold individually wrapped to keep themclean. Since the vagina is not a sterile body cavity, and for the mostpart contains good bacteria, there is no need for any menstrual deviceto be sterilized. While the materials for use in a tampon can vary,certain treatments can be used to facilitate either the absorbency orthe lack of absorbency of the material, it is important to note that thetampons should be safe from any toxic material such as pesticides orchlorine. Such chemicals can add to health concerns. It is recommendedby the US FDA that certain guidelines be followed when using tampons toavoid Toxic Shock Syndrome. One is that the woman chooses the lowestabsorbency needed for one's flow or bleeding condition, consider usingcotton or cloth tampons rather than rayon and change the tampons every 4to 6 hours. It is often advised that a woman alternate between tamponsand pads and to avoid tampon usage overnight or when sleeping. Increasedawareness of warning signs of Toxic Shock Syndrome and other tamponassociated health risks is helpful to avoid any complications with theuse of tampons.

For the purposes of the invention as described herein below, hereinafterthe materials for use in a tampon can be any of the materials currentlyused. Furthermore, the construction can be identical to that of theprior art in all components with the exception of how the removal stringor cord is assembled to form the tampon of the present invention.

With reference to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the tampon assembly 10 of thepresent invention is illustrated. The tampon assembly 10 as shown inFIG. 2 includes the inner applicator tube 32, the outer applicator tube34 with the tampon 20 shown housed within the outer applicator tube 34and extending from the tampon 20 is a removal string 30 that is formedas a single loop 30L. This single loop removal cord can be achieved asshown in FIG. 3 wherein a tampon body 22 can be opened such that isexposes the internal or central portion of the tampon body 22 whereinthe ends 35, 36 of the looped tampon removal string 30 are located. Thetampon string 30 will have a first end 35 and a second end 36, theseends can be joined or otherwise simply positioned in the area as shownand the tampon folded back on itself to retain the removal string 30.Preferably one or both of the ends 35, 36 are permanently affixed to theinside of the tampon body 22 as illustrated. This affixing of at leastone of the ends 35, 36 can be achieved by hot welding the materialstogether, by adhesively bonding using a glue or other non-toxic materialor by sewing the cord or string 30 directly to a portion of the tamponbody 22 thereby affixing at least one end 35 such that upon removal theloop 30L can either be maintained if both ends 35, 36 are permanentlyaffixed or alternatively, one end 36 can slip from the tampon body 22and expose itself such that the string 30 is of the same length as iscurrently available in the prior art tampons 200. This is achieved byinsuring that the one end 36 is releasable from the tampon body 22.While this is an option, it is also important to note that the loop 30Lof the removal string 30 can be maintained wherein both ends 35, 36 arepermanently affixed and not releasable. In this fashion one simply cangrasp the loop 30L with a finger and pull on it to remove the tampon 20when desired.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the tampon assembly 10 of the presentinvention showing the inner tube 32, the outer tube 34 and the tampon 20with the single loop 30L removal string 30 as formed. In a preferredembodiment, the tampon body 22 itself can have a distal end 23 that ishydrophobic, in other words it is resistant to water or fluidabsorption. Additionally, it is recommended that this string or cord 30itself be made of a material that is hydrophobic and does not tend toabsorb water or fluids. The remaining upper portion 24 of the tamponbody 22 can be treated or otherwise made of a material that ishydrophilic with an affinity for absorbing fluids, in that case thehydrophilic material will absorb the blood and fluids within the vaginaand serve its useful purpose. While the distal end 23 being resistant tofluid absorption will act as a plug preventing the body fluids fromentering into the water should one be swimming and alternativelypreventing the water from entering into the vagina when worn. This makesthe looped tampon 20 of the present invention ideal for swimming. As canbe easily appreciated, the looped 30L removal string 30 only extends adistance D from the distal end 23 of the tampon 20 body. This distance Dis half or less than half of the length that would normally be extendedfrom a prior art tampon 200. Tampons are commonly made with a singlestring although some have been made with two strings tied with a knot.This knot can be provided and tied in such a fashion that it creates theappearance of a loop. The disadvantage of this type of a system is thesestrings are usually knotted typically in a position that a large amountof strings approximately 4 inches to 6 inches extends from the body 202of the tampon 200. This creates that unsightly appearance that when aswimmer wears a tampon, the string can extend beyond the bathing suitcreating the embarrassing situation knows that the woman is wearing atampon. This is completely avoided by the present invention in that thesmall loop 30L itself is contained well within the body cavity such thatnone of the loop 30L needs to be exposed in any fashion. This greatlyfacilitates the use of swimsuits, particularly swimsuits that are cutwith a reasonably small amount material covering the vaginal area. Thisinsures that the woman can feel comfortable that the string 30 itselfwill be concealed within the body cavity. Removal is facilitated by theloop 30L because one can simply use a finger to insert and grasp theloop to facilitate removal as previously discussed. With this design,the wearer can feel confident that she can swim without any exposure ofthe removal string 30. While the activity of swimming is the most commonoccurrence where the tampon string 30 can be exposed, it is not the onlysituation that risks of embarrassing string exposure can occur. Forexample, activities such as tennis, running, modeling, gymnastics,wearing of short shorts, dancing, cheerleading all are situations wherethe looped tampon 20 of the present invention would add to security andcomfort knowing the looped string 30L would never be dangling from theclothing. Furthermore, this avoids the cumbersome requirement of cuttingthe strings of a conventional or prior art tampon which has its owninherent risk. Such cut strings can be cut so short that they limit theability to grasp or even find the string once it is inserted into thebody cavity. A single string cut provides a limited chance to grasp onceinserted; as a result it may require the woman to use forceps or someother device to remove the tampon. This is generally an unacceptablepractice, however, the loopon tampon provides a small loop 30L that iseasily accessible and provides even a simpler way of removing a tamponbecause a finger can be slipped directly into the loop 30L and thisfacilitates pulling the tampon 20 out. There is no risk of being unableto capture a loop 30L as opposed to trying to grasp one end of a cutstring. Furthermore, the user does not have to modify the design in anyfashion. The looped tampon 20 can be made using any of conventionaltampons currently sold.

The improved can be manufactured using a method of manufacturing animproved tampon having the steps of providing a tampon body, attaching aremoval string, having a length (L) between a first end and second endpermanently affixing at or along at least one first end of the string tothe tampon body, and looping the second end back into the tampon bodyand attaching thereto to form a shortened single loop. The step ofaffixing the second end includes the step of attaching the second end tothe tampon body, the second end is permanently attached or removablyattached to the tampon body and the single loop extends a distance Dfrom the tampon body less than half the length (L) of the removalstring. The second end can be releasably attached to the tampon body andcan be detached from the tampon body to facilitate removal allowing theremoval string to be extended to a full removal length. The removalstring first and second ends when attached to the tampon body form thesingle loop in a one piece knotless loop. The step of attaching at leastone first end includes one or more steps of sewing, hot welding,bonding, adhesively gluing or otherwise permanently affixing the end tothe tampon body. An alternative method of manufacturing an improvedtampon has the steps of providing a tampon body, attaching two removalstrings to the tampon body, and tying together the unattached ends ofthe two removal strings to form a single knotted loop.

This knotted loop must be configured to extend similarly a shortdistance (D) from a tampon body to prevent the removal string tied endsfrom extending outside the body cavity of the vagina. These and otheralternative looped designs of the removal string 30 are consideredwithin the scope of the invention.

Variations in the present invention are possible in light of thedescription of it provided herein. While certain representativeembodiments and details have been shown for the purpose of illustratingthe subject invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in this artthat various changes and modifications can be made therein withoutdeparting from the scope of the subject invention. It is, therefore, tobe understood that changes can be made in the particular embodimentsdescribed, which will be within the full intended scope of the inventionas defined by the following appended claims.

1. An improved tampon comprising: a tampon body; a removal string havinga length (L) between a first end and a second end, wherein the removalstring is permanently affixed at or along at least one of the first andsecond ends of the string to the tampon body; and wherein the second endattaches to the tampon body to form a single loop.
 2. The improvedtampon of claim 1 wherein the second end is permanently attached orremovably attached to the tampon body and the single loop extends adistance (D) from the tampon body that is less than approximately halfthe length L of the removal string.
 3. The improved tampon of claim 2wherein the second end is releasably attached to the tampon body and isconfigured to be detached from the tampon body to facilitate removal byallowing the removal string to be extended to a full removal length. 4.The improved tampon of claim 3 wherein when the second end is detached,the full removal length is at least approximately 4 inches (10.2 cm). 5.The improved tampon of claim 1 wherein the removal string first andsecond ends when attached to the tampon body form the single loop in aone piece knotless loop.
 6. The improved tampon of claim 1 wherein atleast one of the first and second ends is sewn, hot welded, bonded,adhesively glued or otherwise permanently affixed to the tampon body. 7.The improved tampon of claim 1 wherein the removal string is made of ahydrophobic material to prevent water or blood absorption.
 8. Theimproved tampon of claim 1 wherein the tampon body comprises an upperportion formed of a hydrophilic material for improved blood absorptionand a lower portion formed of a water blocking hydrophobic material. 9.A method of manufacturing an improved tampon comprising the steps of:providing a tampon body; permanently affixing a removal string at oralong at least one of first and second ends of the removal string to thetampon body; and forming a single loop by attaching the second end ofthe removal string to the tampon body.
 10. The method of manufacturingan improved tampon of claim 9 wherein the step of forming the singleloop comprises permanently or removably attaching the second end to thetampon body so that the single loop extends a distance (D) from thetampon body that is less than approximately half a length (L) of theremoval string.
 11. The method of manufacturing an improved tampon ofclaim 10 wherein the second end is releasably attached to the tamponbody and can be detached from the tampon body to facilitate removalallowing the removal string to be extended to a full removal length. 12.The method of manufacturing an improved tampon of claim 9 wherein theremoval string first and second ends when attached to the tampon bodyform the single loop in a one piece knotless loop.
 13. The method ofmanufacturing an improved tampon of claim 9 wherein the step of affixingat least one of the first and second ends includes one or more steps ofsewing, hot welding, bonding, adhesively gluing or otherwise permanentlyaffixing the end to the tampon body.
 14. A method of manufacturing animproved tampon comprising the steps of: providing a tampon body;attaching two removal strings to the tampon body; and tying together theunattached ends of the two removal strings to form a single knottedloop.
 15. A tampon comprising: a tampon body having a distal end; aremoval mechanism extending from the distal end of the tampon body,wherein the removal mechanism comprises means for facilitating access tothe removal mechanism when inserted into a cavity of a user.
 16. Thetampon of claim 15, wherein the means for facilitating access comprisesa loop.
 17. The tampon of claim 15, wherein the removal mechanismcomprises a removal string having a first end and second end, whereinthe second end is looped back into the tampon body and attached to forma shortened single loop.
 18. The tampon of claim 17, wherein the secondend is releasably attached to the tampon body and configured to bedetached from the tampon body to facilitate removal allowing the removalstring to be extended to a full removal length.
 19. The tampon of claim17, wherein the single loop extends a distance from the tampon body thatis less than half a length of the removal string.